Can anyone else relate to having a barrel of monkeys for a family? When I was a child, my grandma’s house would be considered our “barrel.” That was where everyone showed up after work, for family meals and holidays.
All in Faith/Trust
Minding our Tenses Well: Day 1
Where I live, it is an almost season. The days are almost summery, the flowers in the garden are almost blooming, it is almost time for neighborly visits on the porch and almost time to take a walk without grabbing a jacket on the way out.
Power From On High
Forty days had passed since the empty tomb. Jesus had told them more than once He’d have to leave them, and had done His best to prepare them for His ascension:
Believing is Seeing
Eight days later—so much to take in.
Jesus didn’t play hide-and-seek with His friends for long. The empty tomb alone was not the crux of the story. The truth of who He was and what He had accomplished lay in His appearing, alive. So He began to reveal Himself first to those closest to Him.
So Much More!
I love asking the Lord to direct me to books of the Bible He would like me to study. However, I was less than thrilled when He directed me to…Lamentations. Seriously? Who studies Lamentations? Well, YOU do if that is what the Lord says do.
Reframe
Have you ever had a conversation that helped you reframe a current circumstance? Recently my husband’s comments about a difficult situation provided me much-needed perspective.
So Little to Give
Have you ever taken on a project that felt impossible? You don’t know where to start. It feels overwhelming. There are too many steps in the process. Certain things have to happen that are out of your control in order to accomplish it
Fixable
My grandson’s stuffed toys bring him much pleasure. He talks to them. He sleeps with them. Rarely does he ever get in the car without one or two in tow.
Blind Trust
I enjoy the crazy ride of a roller coaster.
All the surprises of things that you cannot see ahead of you… twisting and turning… ups and downs.
But to ride them… it is a step of trust.
Angelic Protection
The thought of God charging angels to “keep watch over you” comforts me, especially since I mostly think of angels watching over children. When my young son fell out of a tree, his sister ran into the kitchen screaming for help. As I headed out the door, he passed me on his way in.
God as my Protector
My son-in-law built a charming playhouse for his girls. But to my surprise, he recently converted that same little house into a chicken coop! I now believe the chickens’ shenanigans have provided more entertainment than the girls’ playhouse adventures.
Voice in My Head
When our pastor started preaching from the book of Romans, we received stickers of a visual way to share Christ with others. I stuck mine in my Bible and promptly forgot about it. The day it fell out changed my life and eventually the life of someone else as well.
Running a Good Race: not in vain
Is cross-country skiing on your bucket list by chance? Then the perfect place for you is in Stowe Vermont at the Trapp Family Lodge—yes, the Sound of Music von Trapps settled in Stowe in 1942, having fled Austria in 1938.
Quizzical Times
A well-crafted phrase intrigues me. It also helps me think new thoughts. Here’s one from a new-to-me resource, The Love of God, a small book from the Oswald Chambers Library:
“Watch the circumstances of life. We get them fairly well mixed, and if we are getting fairly well more than enough of one kind, let us thank God for it. It is producing the particular grace God wants us to manifest.” *
New Growth
Walking through fields of beautiful flowers… amazing!
I don’t have to know much about gardening to enjoy it… thankfully.
I know that if mixed correctly, flowering plants, dirt, sun, water, time… out comes beautiful flowers!
God does the growing!
I don’t have to know all the details of how… I can just be amazed by the results.
Trust or Unbelief?
Are these new verses to you? Not likely. Many of us have these verses memorized, and we even classify these as all-time favorites. These words are truth, but it is difficult for us to really live them out.
The Blueprint
As a young wife and mother, I thought I had the perfect blueprint for our family. My intention was to have two children. No more. Within a few years we had two wonderful little boys. When I learned that I was expecting baby number three, I was extremely upset.
Deborah – Woman of Faith
Deborah, servant of God, prophet, judge, wife, sat under a tree to settle disputes for the Israelites. The Bible mentions she “led” Israel.
God’s Recall
Hebrews 11, often referred to as the “Faith Chapter,” mentions by name people who chose to display strong faith in God. Interestingly enough the stories of some of the faithful mentioned there came from the book of Judges found in the Old Testament. These people lived years and years before the writing of the book of Hebrews, but God had the writer include their names. God commended them for their faith.
Remembering
If you read through Psalms 77, you will find that the psalmist was in a tough spot, in deep distress. He opened his heart to the Lord, and he was honest about how he was feeling. Then he turned his attention to what the Lord had done. He remembered God’s goodness and His mercy.